Hey Dave – I was at an open-mic last week. A comic went on stage and “called out” another comic who had gone before him for stealing jokes. He did this from the stage. Afterwards, he couldn’t prove it – and no one else remembered hearing those jokes anywhere else. We think he was wrong and handled it wrong. Any thoughts? – D
Comedy police out for joke-stealers!
Hey D – I always have thoughts. And when they’re about comics stealing material, they’re never good ones.
What a jerk.
Wait… let me rethink that. We might have two jerks here. Allow me to think out loud – or at least in loud writing.
JERK #1
This honor goes to the comic who “called out” the other one from the stage.
First of all, he admitted afterward that he had no proof. Maybe he thought he was being edgy—sometimes that works—but not when it’s at the expense of another comic who’s just trying to improve at an open-mic. That’s what these nights are for: getting better.
(And of course, this assumes the first comic didn’t actually steal material.)
The accuser should’ve talked to him privately, not trashed him in front of an audience. Unless a comic is known for stealing, the professional move is to speak offstage, one-on-one.
Bill Engvall talked about this in my book Comedy FAQs and Answers. He called it the comedy police.
Mention it!
When you think someone’s stealing, mention it—but privately. Comics should police each other, keep each other honest. If the warned comic keeps doing the same bit after being told, then there might be consequences.
But sometimes it’s not theft – it’s coincidence.
I once knew two comics, one in New York and one in Los Angeles, who independently wrote the same joke. They didn’t know each other and had never worked the same clubs. But the LA comic did the joke on the television show, A&E’s An Evening at the Improv.
(I know, because I was the talent coordinator standing off – camera when it happened.)
After the taping, I called the NY comic – both are still friends of mine – and told him what happened. He immediately said, “Well, I can’t do that joke anymore.” He wasn’t mad, because he knew they’d both written it honestly. But now that it had aired nationally, the other guy “owned” it.
That’s just how the business works.
So yes, a comic can accidentally do something too similar to someone else’s bit. The right way to handle that is quietly and respectfully – not grandstanding from the stage.
If you’ve got proof, talk privately. If he keeps doing it, then you can call him out.
JERK #2
Now let’s talk about the other jerk – the one who really does steal.
Back in New York, when I was starting out, there was an open-mic comic who ran a popular show. He was a nice guy, gave people stage time, and claimed to be a headliner in Florida.
That didn’t quite add up.
Turned out, he was going to Florida and doing the best material he’d stolen from comics performing at his open-mic.
Say what?!
The reaction from the NY comedy scene was swift and brutal. Nobody played his open-mic anymore, and no one else would give him stage time. Word got around, and eventually, he left for Florida to “pursue his career.” I later heard he was parking cars. Can’t confirm that – but it fits.
A few years later, when I was talent coordinator for An Evening at the Improv, he called my office trying to play the “old friend” card for an audition. Short story – he didn’t get one.
Chalk another up for the comedy police.
The Bottom Line
So, to answer your question, yeah – the comic who called the other one out from the stage was wrong. If he thought there was a problem, he should’ve handled it privately. Maybe the other comic didn’t even realize it. But if there’s proof, he needs to stop doing the joke.
And if he really is stealing? The comedy police will take care of it.
Comedy is a small world. Word gets around fast.
If it’s obvious someone’s stealing and they keep doing it, they’ll be blacklisted before long. Odds are better they’ll be parking cars at a comedy club before they ever “own” anyone else’s material on television.
Thanks for reading and as always – keep laughing!
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